Integrated hinge and door check assembly



March 11, 1969 5, R 3,431,588

INTEGRATED HINGE AND DOOR CHECK ASSEMBLY Filed April 25, 1967 Sheet of :2

INVENTOR.

dalgfla F7 747711423715.

March 11, 1969 Filed April 25,

S. M. FREY INTEGRATED HINGE AND DOOR CHECK ASSEMBLY [Ill/Alva ,1,

INVENTOR.

nited States Patent 2 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE An integrated hinge and door check assembly for a vehicle door in which the door checking and hold open feature is obtained through the interference of an abutment movable in a predetermined path with roller elements carried on one end of a torsion member, the abutment being movable relative to the roller elements as the door is swung to opened and closed positions. Upon sufficient force being exerted to swing the door, the abut ment member engages the roller elements causing deflection of the torsion member and permitting the rollers to be overridden by the movable abutment.

Background of the invention The primary function of any door check mechanism for a vehicle door structure is to maintain the vehicle door in a predetermined opened position until the vehicle occupant over rides the hold open mechanism by exerting a closing force on the door. A secondary function of a door check mechanism is to slow down the swinging movement of the door as it is swung to an opened position, although modern vehicle doors are generally well cushioned against being slammed too hard into the body opening by the resilient Weatherstrip material that forms the weather tight seal between the perimeter of the door and the adjacent body structure surfaces.

An integrated door hinging and checking mechanism absorbs quite a bit of abuse during the lifetime of the vehicle. The average vehicle door is a relatively heavy structure when loaded down with a window regulator mechanism, a latch mechanism and other accessories. As the door is swung to an open position there is a rather abrupt engagement of the door checking and holding elements. Accordingly, these elements must be durable, must be designed so as to provide a minimum of shock transmittal to the door and body structure upon engagement and must engage each other without an undesirable amount of noise being involved.

Summary of the invention The present invention embodies an integrated hinge and door check assembly for hinging a vehicle door structure on a vehicle body structure. The assembly comprises a first hinge member having angularly related leg portions with one leg secured to one of the structures and the other leg projecting outwardly therefrom. Cooperating with the hinge member secured to the first of said structures, which may be the body structure, is a second hinge member secured to the other of the structures, which may be the vehicle door structure. The second hinge member is a bracket having a pair of substantially parallel legs straddling the outwardly projecting leg of the first hinge member. Hinge pin means pivotally connect the two hinge members for swinging movement relative to one another, the hinge pin means passing through the outwardly projecting leg of the first hinge member.

The first hinge member has a torsion member to which is fixed a carrier rotatably journalling a pair of spaced roller elements. The roller elements are positioned to be 3,431,588 Patented Mar. 11, 1969 engaged by an abutment on the second hinge member and to be overridden by the latter as the vehicle door structure is swung from a closed to an opened position. The movement of the roller elements out of the path of the abutment on the second hinge member is achieved through deflection of the torsion member on which roller elements are supported. The resistance of the torsion member to deflection and door structure closing direction is effective to hold the door structure in an opened position until sufiicient manual force is exerted on the door to overcome such resistance.

Description of the drawings Other objects, advantages and features of the present invention will be made more apparent as this description proceeds, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, wherein:

FIG. 1 is a side elevational view of a preferred embodiment of the integrated hinge and door check mechanism according to the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a plan view of FIG. 1 having added thereto fragmentary portions of the vehicle body structure and vehicle door structure and showing the hinge and check assembly as it appears when the door structure is in a fully opened position relative to the body opening;

FIG. 3 is a view in part similar to FIG. 2 showing the relationship of the parts of the hinge and check assembly when the vehicle door is in an intermediate opened position relative to the body structure; and

FIG. 4 is a view in part similar to FIG. 2 showing the parts of the hinge and check assembly when the vehicle door is in fully closed position relative to the vehicle body structure.

FIG. 5 is a cross section of the end of the torsion bar.

Description of the preferred embodiment Referring now to the drawings, the reference numeral 11 indicates a motor vehicle door structure hinged to an adjacent vehicle body structure or pillar 12 for pivotal movement about a hinge axis defined by a hinge pin 13. The hinge pin 13 is a part of an integral hinge and door checking assembly, generally designated 14, embodying the present invention.

The integral hinge and door checking assembly comprises two hinge members, a body side hinge member 15 and a door side hinge member 16 pivotally coupled by the hinge pin 13. The body side hinge member 15 has two angularly related leg portions, i.e., it is substantially L- shaped as viewed in FIG. 2, with one leg 17 secured by bolts 18 to a wall 19 of the body pillar 12 and the other leg 21 projecting outwardly from the face of the wall 19 of the body pillar. In cross-section the body side hinge member 15 is channel shaped, the side walls 22 and 23 of the outwardly projecting leg 21 being substantially parallel and apertured near the free end 24 of the latter to receive the hinge pin 13.

The door side hinge member 16 is a bracket having substantially parallel leg portions 25 and 26 joined by a laterally offset base portion 27. Each leg terminates in a flange 28 and 29, respectively, through which the body side hinge member 16 is secured by bolts 31 to an end wall 32 of the door structure 11.

The leg portion 25 of the bracket or body side hinge member 16, the leg portion 25 being the upper leg portion as viewed in FIG. 1, has an upwardly offset section 33 which parallels the plane of the leg portion 25 and forms a platform having an outwardly projecting abutment 34. The abutment 34 is positioned to engage a checking and holding device, generally designated 35.

The checking and holding device 35 comprises an elongated rod 36 which extends between the two parallel side walls 22 and 23 of the body side hinge member 15. At

3 its lower end the elongated rod 36 is D-shaped, see FIG. 5. This D-shaped end portion 37 projects through a complementary aperture 38 in the lower side wall 23 of the body side hinge member 15. The lower end 37 of the rod 36 is thus anchored against rotation.

The upper end of the resilient rod 36 extends above the upper wall 22 of the leg 21 of the body side hinge member 15 and is keyed to an arcuate carrier plate 39. The manner in which the rod 36 is keyed to the plate 39 is the same as that in which the lower end 37 is held against rotation in the leg 21 wall 23 (see FIG. 5).

Iournalled on the carrier plate 39 are two indented rollers 41 and 42. The rollers are located one at each side of the torsion rod 36 longitudinal axis and are journalled on pivot studs 43.

Operation Referring now to FIG. 4, parts of the integrated hinge and door check assembly embodying the present invention are shown in a closed position relative to the body opening in which the door is mounted. The abutment 34 on the door side hinge member 16 is substantially displaced relative to the checking and holding device 35 and there are therefore no forces being exerted on any part of the hinge and door check assembly other than the normal door support forces on the hinge pin 13.

When the vehicle door is swung about the hinge pin 13 in a counterclockwise direction as viewed in the drawings, the abutment 34 on the body side hinge member 16 engages the roller 42 journalled on the carrier plate 39 and urges the latter in a counterclockwise direction about the longitudinal axis of the rod 36. The rod 36, since it is anchored at its lower end, will resist the torsional twist being exerted thereon. If suflicient force is exerted on the door, however, the abutment 34 will override the roller 42 until the FIG. 3 position is reached in which the abutment 34 is between the rollers 41 and 42. The resiliency of the rod 36 will cause the carrier and the rollers thereon to swing in a clockwise direction back to their original position, thus being in position to block movement of the door in either opening or closing direction.

If sufiicient force in the original opening or counterclockwise direction movement of the door is applied, the abutment 34 will engage the roller 41 and force the roller 41 and the carrier 39 in a clockwise direction about the longitudinal axis of the rod 36. Again, the rod 36 will be torsionally twisted so that the abutment 34 can override the roller 41 until the fully opened position as shown in FIG. 2 is reached. It will be noted that the vertically offset base portion 27 of the door side hinge member 16 abuts the edges of the side Walls 22 and 23 of the projecting leg 21 of the body side hinge member and thus acts as a positive stop limiting the extent to which the door may move to a fully opened position. The door is thus held in its fully opened position through the interaction of the base wall 27 abutting the edges of the side walls 22 and 23 of the projecting leg 21 of the body side hinge member 15 and through the relationship of the abutment 34 with the indented roller 41 of the checking and holding device 35.

In order that the door may be swung from a fully opened position shown in FIG. 2 back to the fully closed position shown in FIG. 4, it is only necessary to exert sufficient manual force on the door to cause the abutment 34 to urge the roller 41 and carrier 39 in a clockwise direction about the longitudinal axis of the torsion rod 36 so that the abutment will override the roller 41. The

abutment 34 will then engage the roller 42 causing the latter and the carrier 39 to be swung slightly in a counterclockwise direction, again causing torsional deflection of the rod 36 to permit the abutment 34 to override the roller 42 until the fully closed position of the door is reached as shown in FIG. 4.

It will be understood that this invention is not to be limited to the exact construction shown and described but that various changes and modifications may he made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention.

I claim:

1. An integrated hinge and door check assembly for hinging a vehicle door structure on a vehicle body structure, comprising:

a first hinge member of substantially L-shape having one leg of the L secured to one of said structures and the other leg of the L projecting outwardly therefrom,

a second hinge member secured to the other of said structures having spaced portions straddling the outwardly projecting leg of the first hinge member,

hinge pin means extending through the outwardly projecting leg of the first hinge member and the straddling parallel portions of the second hinge member to hingedly connect the two hinge members together,

a torsion rod paralleling said hinge pin means and having an end portion projecting axially from said first hinge member,

an elongated carrier member keyed to said torsion rod end portion,

said carrier member being swingable in a plane normal to the hinge pin means,

a pair of spaced roller elements journalled on said carrier member at each end of the latter,

and abutment means on said second hinge member sequentially engageable with said roller elements to displace the latter from their at rest position to provide intermediate and fully opened door holding positions,

the displacement of said rollers being transmitted through said carrier member to said torsion member to axially deflect the latter,

the resistance of said torsion member to deflection causing said roller elements to block passage of said abutment thereover unless suflicient manual force is exerted on said door to overcome such resistance.

2. An integrated hinge and door check assembly according to claim 1 in which the straddling parallel portions of said second hinge member are connected by a vertical portion,

said vertical portion being adapted to abut the outwardly projecting leg of the first hinge member to provide a positive stop to limit movement of the door structure in opening direction.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 3,065,497 11/1964 Faber 16146 3,370,317 2/1968 Marchione 16139 BOBBY R. GAY, Primary Examiner.

DORIS L. TROUTMAN, Assistant Examiner.

US. Cl. X.R. 16-180 

